Nutrition

A New Zealand study has found that South Asian women with insulin resistance improved markedly after taking vitamin D supplements Nutrition researcher Pamela von Hurst of the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health at Albany, said while diet and exercise played a major part in the onset of type-2 diabetes, her findings reinforced the importance of vitamin D from the sun and supplements to prevent type-2 diabetes. Initial screening of 235 Auckland women from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka aged 20 and older, revealed 47 per cent were insulin deficient and 84 per cent were vitamin D deficient. The 81 recruited for the study were split into two groups for a randomised controlled trial and given a vitamin D supplement or placebo. As well as an improvement in insulin resistance among those who took vitamin D for six months, Ms Von Hurst said post-menopausal women in the study also showed a reduced rate of bone breakdown.

Acute Ingestion of Long-Chain (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Decreases Fibrinolysis in Men with Metabolic Syndrome. Montegaard C, Tulk HM, Lauritzen L, Tholstrup T, Robinson LE. J Nutr. 2009 Nov 4. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19889809 doi:10.3945/jn.109.111427 Individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) often have elevated plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), contributing to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. PAI-1 and t-PA may be affected by chronic (n-3) long-chain PUFA [(n-3)LCPUFA] supplementation; however, the acute impact of fat ingestion on these risk factors has not been established. Our objective was to investigate the acute effect of (n-3)LCPUFA on plasma PAI-1, t-PA, and platelet aggregation. We conducted a randomized crossover study in which men (n = 8, ≥45 y) with MetS consumed water or a high-saturated fat beverage (1 g fat/kg body weight) with either a high or low content of (n-3)LCPUFA. Blood samples were collected over 8 h to measure triacylglycerol (TAG), PAI-1, t-PA, and platelet aggregation. Both fat loads resulted in a significant increase in whole blood TAG concentration, plasma PAI-1 and t-PA concentrations, and PAI-1 activity, as well as a significant decrease in t-PA activity during the postprandial period. Interestingly, PAI-1 concentration and activity increased more following the high (n-3)LCPUFA compared with the low (n-3)LCPUFA beverage (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the high (n-3)LCPUFA beverage resulted in a lower t-PA activity (P < 0.05), whereas the effects of the 2 fat loads on the plasma t-PA concentration and platelet aggregation did not differ. Overall, acute intake of a high (n-3)LCPUFA beverage shifted the balance between plasma PAI-1 and t-PA, which might indicate a lower capacity for fibrinolysis

"THURSDAY, Dec. 17 (HealthDay News) -- In a surprise finding, Canadian researchers report that the immediate effect of the fish oil fatty acids that are good for the heart is a short-term increase in blood fats and the molecules that help them form clots. "We were surprised to find that the acute response has some potentially negative effects in comparison to what you might expect from chronic, long-term intake," said Lindsay E. Robinson, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Guelph, and leader of the group reporting the finding in the January issue of the Journal of Nutrition. However, the study results shouldn't affect the current recommendation for eating more oily fish to get the omega-3 polyunsaturated acids that reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause heart attacks and stroke, Robinson said. "The recommendation to increase intake is very well-studied, and this doesn't change it," she said. And the effects were seen in a selected group of middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome, a combination of high blood pressure, obesity and elevated blood fat levels, Robinson noted. In the study, eight men had controlled intake of three regimens: high doses of omega-3 fatty acids, low doses of them and just plain water. Robinson and her colleagues measured several blood components involved in clotting, including fats and clotting factors such as plasminogen-activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) for the following eight hours. PAI-1 inhibits the destruction of blood clots, so high levels of it in the blood increase the risk of artery-blocking clots. The researchers found that both omega-3 fatty acid regimens increased blood fat and clotting factor activity. But the increase in clotting factor was greater for the higher doses of omega-3 fatty acids than for the lower intakes. Robinson said her group hopes to do further studies of the immediate effects of omega-3 fatty acid intake. "We need to look at the mechanisms, why blood lipid levels go up," she

"This non-commercial website features my writings on nutritional topics: natural health, health freedom, dietary supplements/vitamins/herbs, organic & biotech food, poor studies, misleading press, etc. Not intended as nutritional counseling, prescription or treatment of disease. Older articles may contain outdated info. Links to Amazon or Google ads are independent of my content. Copyright 2006-2008 by Neil E. Levin, except as noted. Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA is a nationally board-certified clinical nutritionist with a Diplomate in Advanced Nutritional Laboratory Assessment. He is a professional member of the International & American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists. Neil is a nutrition educator and a dietary supplement formulator. Neil is a member of the Scientific Council of the national Clinical Nutrition Certification Board and is on the board of directors of the Mid-American Health Organization (MAHO), the Midwest regional affiliate of the National Products Association (NPA). In July, 2008, Neil was named an NPA Industry Champion, "an award given to people who have made notable individual contributions to industry above and beyond what is expected to achieve commercial success". Neil is the immediate past president of the not-for-profit Nutrition for Optimal Health Association, Inc. (www.nutrition4health.org) and is Program Chair of the American Nutrition Association. Neil has frequently published in magazines, newspapers and scientific journals and has been on numerous radio and television news programs."

"This chart comes from Russell Jaffe, MD, and he retains all rights. Prepared by Dr. Russell Jaffe, Fellow, Health Studies Collegium. Reprints available from ELISAIACT Biotechnologies. 14 Pidgeon Hill, #300, Sterling,VA 20 165. Sources include USDA food data base (Rev 9 & 10), Food & Nutrition Encyclopedia; Nutrition Applied Personally by M.Walczak; Acid & Alkaline by H.Aihara. Food growth, transport, storage, processing, preparation, combination, & assimilation influence effect Intensity. Thanks to Hank Liers for his original work. (Rev 6/0 1]"

"Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered that restricting consumption of glucose, the most common dietary sugar, can extend the life of healthy human-lung cells and speed the death of precancerous human-lung cells, reducing cancer's spread and growth rate. The research has wide-ranging potential in age-related science, including ways in which calorie-intake restriction can benefit longevity and help prevent diseases like cancer that have been linked to aging, said principal investigator Trygve Tollefsbol, Ph.D., D.O., a professor in the Department of Biology. "These results further verify the potential health benefits of controlling calorie intake." Tollefsbol said. "Our research indicates that calorie reduction extends the lifespan of healthy human cells and aids the body's natural ability to kill off cancer-forming cells.

In 1945, Dr. Weston Price described "a new vitamin-like activator" that played an influential role in the utilization of minerals, protection from tooth decay, growth and development, reproduction, protection against heart disease and the function of the brain. Using a chemical test, he determined that this compound-which he called Activator X-occurred in the butterfat, organs and fat of animals consuming rapidly growing green grass, and also in certain sea foods such as fish eggs. Vitamin K2 is produced by animal tissues, including the mammary glands, from vitamin K1, which occurs in rapidly growing green plants. A growing body of published research confirms Dr. Price's discoveries, namely that vitamin K2 is important for the utilization of minerals, protects against tooth decay, supports growth and development, is involved in normal reproduction, protects against calcification of the arteries leading to heart disease, and is a major component of the brain

"Supplements of French maritime pine bark extract may improve the flow of blood in the tiny blood vessels of the retina, and enhance sight in diabetics with early stage eye problems, says a new study. Visual acuity, or the clearness of vision, was found to improve from 14/20 to 17/20 in people with early stage retina damage associated with diabetes (diabetic retinopathy) following daily supplements of the pine bark extract, Pycnogenol, for two months. Forty-six diabetics participated in the randomised controlled study with the findings published in the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. "Our study suggests that Pycnogenol taken in the early stages of retinopathy may enhance retinal blood circulation accompanied by a regression of oedema, which favourably improves vision of patients," said lead researcher Dr Robert Steigerwalt. "Pycnogenol may be particularly beneficial for preventing this complication in diabetic patients, based on the large number of individuals who were diagnosed when the disease had already significantly progressed"

"The affirmation that the omega-3 DHA can benefit cognitive and eye health offers hope to previously rejected claims. And it's business as usual regarding the overall health claims process, despite ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, said a European Commission representative. At the NutraIngredients Health Claims 2010 conference in Brussels, the EC's Lars Korsholm explained the regulatory state-of-play for DHA claims. "I think it will offer some hope to previously rejected claims in the sense that these claims that are now subject for discussion are generic in the sense that if other food business operators than those who actually submitted the application can claim to fulfill the conditions of use then they are equally entitled to use the claim," explains Korsholm. The statements come in relation to an October decision whereby the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) affirmed that the omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and ALA, can benefit eye and cognitive development in babies. Responding to the public comment period for Merck Selbstmedikation GmbH's article 14 cognitive development claim that was rejected in March, EFSA affirmed its original stance that there was no need for additional supplementation of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) because it already existed at adequate levels in the diet. It supported their role in foetal and newborn eye and brain development but said there was an adequate supply in breast milk. "

Cigarette smoking, fish consumption, omega-3 fatty acid intake, and associations with age-related macular degeneration: the US Twin Study of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Seddon JM, George S, Rosner B. Arch Ophthalmol. 2006 Jul;124(7):995-1001. PMID: 16832023 Conclusions This study of twins provides further evidence that cigarette smoking increases risk while fish consumption and omega-3 fatty acid intake reduce risk of AMD

"Carotenoids, found in green leafy vegetables and colored fruits, have been found to increase visual performance and may prevent age-related eye diseases, according to a study in the Journal of Food Science, published by the Institute of Food Technologists. Authors from the University of Georgia compiled the results of multiple studies on the effects of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin on visual performance. These carotenoids play an important role in human vision, including a positive impact on the retina. After reviewing the various studies, the authors concluded that rmacular pigments, such as lutein and zeaxanthin do have an effect on visual performance. Lutein and zeaxanthin can reduce disability and discomfort from glare, enhance contrast, and reduce photostress recovery times. They can also reduce glare from light absorption and increase the visual range. Lead author Dr. Billy R. Hammond Jr. noted that the research of the effects of lutein and zeazanthin are important because "it is clear that they could potentially improve vision through biological means. For example, a study conducted in 2008 suggests that the pigments protect the retina and lens and perhaps even help prevent age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataract"

"ScienceDaily (Dec. 17, 2009) - Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered that restricting consumption of glucose, the most common dietary sugar, can extend the life of healthy human-lung cells and speed the death of precancerous human-lung cells, reducing cancer's spread and growth rate. The research has wide-ranging potential in age-related science, including ways in which calorie-intake restriction can benefit longevity and help prevent diseases like cancer that have been linked to aging, said principal investigator Trygve Tollefsbol, Ph.D., D.O., a professor in the Department of Biology. "These results further verify the potential health benefits of controlling calorie intake." Tollefsbol said. "Our research indicates that calorie reduction extends the lifespan of healthy human cells and aids the body's natural ability to kill off cancer-forming cells.""

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Low vitamin D serum level is related to severe fibrosis and low responsiveness to IFN-based therapy in genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C Salvatore Petta et al. Hepatology, Volume 9999 Issue 999A, Page NA. Published Online: 4 Dec 2009 DOI: 10.1002/hep.23489 Conclusions: G1 CHC patients had low 25(OH)D serum levels, possibly due to reduced CYP27A1 expression. Low vitamin D is linked to severe fibrosis and low SVR on IFN-based therapy. (HEPATOLOGY 2010.)

Vitamin K2 is emerging as an exciting player in the control and possible regression of coronary atherosclerotic plaque. Only about 10% of dietary vitamin K intake is in the K2 form, the other 90% being the more common K1.

If you've been following the Track Your Plaque conversation, you know that, contrary to prevailing opinion among many cardiologists, there is an emerging notion that coronary calcification is an active process, a true part of the disease. Vitamin D3 is an important aspect of this question. So is vitamin K2. Not to be confused with K1 that plays a role in blood coagulation, K2 has an important role in calcium metabolism. Thus, vitmain K2 deficiency is related to osteoporosis and to coronary calcification.

The vitamin K2 story, though still preliminary, is becoming increasingly interesting from the perspective of CT heart score reduction. The origin of this concept came from some unexpected observations. One, the observation that osteoporosis (lack of bone calcium that leads to fractures) arises from deficiency of vitamin K2. Two, deficiency of K2 leads to unrestrained calcium deposition in animal models, leading to heart attack in just weeks.

"ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2009) - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) researchers have confirmed that a diet rich in polyphenols and polyunsaturated fatty acids, patented as an LMN diet, helps boost the production of the brain's stem cells -neurogenesis- and strengthens their differentiation in different types of neuron cells. The research revealed that mice fed an LMN diet, when compared to those fed a control diet, have more cell proliferation in the two areas of the brain where neurogenesis is produced, the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus, both of which are greatly damaged in patients with Alzheimer's disease. These results give support to the hypothesis that a diet made up of foods rich in these antioxidant substances could delay the onset of this disease or even slow down its evolution. The study will be published in the December issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and was directed by Mercedes Unzeta, professor of the UAB Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology"

"ScienceDaily (Dec. 16, 2009) - The omega-3 essential fatty acids commonly found in fatty fish and algae help animals avoid sensory overload, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The finding connects low omega-3s to the information-processing problems found in people with schizophrenia; bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders; Huntington's disease; and other afflictions of the nervous system The study, reported in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience, provides more evidence that fish is brain food. The key finding was that two omega-3 fatty acids -- docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) -- appear to be most useful in the nervous system, maybe by maintaining nerve-cell membranes"

"ScienceDaily (Dec. 17, 2009) - A diet rich in methionine, an amino acid typically found in red meats, fish, beans, eggs, garlic, lentils, onions, yogurt and seeds, can possibly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study by Temple researchers. "When methionine reaches too high a level, our body tries to protect itself by transforming it into a particular amino acid called homocysteine," said lead researcher Domenico Praticò, an associate professor of pharmacology in the School of Medicine. "The data from previous studies show -- even in humans -- when the level of homocysteine in the blood is high, there is a higher risk of developing dementia. We hypothesized that high levels of homocysteine in an animal model of Alzheimer's would accelerate the disease." Using a seven-month old mouse model of the disease, they fed one group an eight-month diet of regular food and another group a diet high in methionine. The mice were then tested at 15 months of age -- the equivalent of a 70-year-old human.